Human and rodent transspecies carcinogens (trans-species carcinogens) often demonstrate similar organotropic patterns of neoplasia and loss of heterozygosity (LOH). We have observed significant chromosome 11 LOH in N5 C57BL/6:129Sv heterozygous p53 mice using simple sequence length polymorphic loci (SSLP). Primers specific for known SSLP loci revealed amplicons consistent with the two genetic strains, C57BL/6 and 129Sv. We hypothesized that carcinogen induced DNA damage in the p53 haploinsufficient mouse results in illegitimate mitotic recombination during repair leading to genomic instability and neoplasia. By exploiting the observed heterozygosity on chromosome 11 in the 5th backcross generation, we learned that LOH was not restricted to theTrp53 locus. A complete copy of chromosome 11 was apparently lost during carcinogen induced lymphomagenesis. This investigation has confirmed the importance of an aneugenic mechanism of action for a number of environmental carcinogens. For example, chromosome 11 loss also occurred in some, but not all, benzene and p-cresidine induced p53 (+/-) mouse sarcomas (oral, intubation) and thymic lymphomas (inhalation, whole animal) and bladder tumors (dietary). Allelotype data from the benzene and p-cresidine studies showed LOH consistent with DNA breaks and non-homologous sequence directed repair . These results establish microsatellite (SSLP loci) mapping as a useful tool for determination of LOH in carcinogenesis studies using p53 haploinsufficient mice, e.g. (C57BL/6 x 129Sv) or (C57BL/6 x C3H) F1, in which heterozygosity at all loci could be informative in investigating LOH and DNA break repair. In summary, we have shown that in a series of independent cancer biology studies that there is sufficient heterozygosity on chromosome 11 in the heterozygous p53 deficient (+/-) N5 generation mouse to use microsatellite markers at 5 cM intervals to demonstrate whole or partial chromosome loss through non-disjunction and homologous recombination. We aim to continue to investigate rates of homologous and non-homologous recombination and determine loci specific positive and negative interference with recombination on chromosome 11 under exposure to environmental carcinogens inducing genomic instability. Specifically, this would enhance our scientific understanding of how this genetically altered mouse model responds when exposed to environmental carcinogens. Using this model, we will determine meiotic (parental and progeny germline) and mitotic recombinant genotype patterns (established in normal somatic tissues of progeny during embryogenesis as well as cancers that arise sporadically with different and unique recombinant genotypes). With microsatellite mapping, we will be able to fine map chromosome 11 sites and rates of homologous recombination and the effect on genomic instability.